Void of Control: REVISED
by Mystical Magician
Summary: There's another card on the loose and Sakura must find a way to catch it. I revised it, so it's much better, but still not how I want it. Please review and don't let the summary put you off.


Keep in mind that I made this before I'd ever heard of the Void card. So this is entirely original. I was looking over this a while ago. *cringes* It's not quite up to what I would like it to be even after the revision, but it's much better. Back when I wrote this I didn't believe in paragraphs, Japanese names, details, and good conversation. Enjoy!

T_T

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_Books. Books everywhere. They muffled every sound and you wouldn't help but whisper, as if you were in a church, at the altar. If you knew where and how to look, you could find an answer to any problem, whether it was calming a young child or cooking the perfect dinner. Or capturing a Clow Card. All it took was reading _inter linea. _Between the lines._

*~*

            "Ne, Tomoyo-chan," Sakura called, running to catch up  with her best friend.

            Tomoyo paused and turned. "Ah! Konnichiwa, Sakura-chan. I've been wondering where you were."

            "Kero-chan wanted to discuss the Clow Cards. He sensed a new card, but he wasn't sure what it was. The only thing he could tell from the aura was that it was related to Dark," answered Sakura as they started off towards the book store.

            Tomoyo squealed, eyes sparkling with delight. "I get to tape another adventure! And I have the perfect costume for you."

            "Eh heh," Sakura said, fidgeting nervously and wondering if she could possibly get out of it. One look at her, admittedly strange, friend, confirmed that nothing short of death would get her out of it.

            Just then the two of them reached Forever Books and walked in. They ceased talking, for the rows of books, old and new, seemed to encourage silence.

            Tomoyo immediately set off to find books on making movies and advanced sewing techniques, leaving Sakura on her own. She wandered around aimlessly, randomly picking up books, sometimes reading the summaries, sometimes paging through them.

            One book she picked up was missing its cover, and the pages were wrinkled, torn, and yellow with age.

            Curious, she opened it and read, 'When the heart is empty and dark, fill it; fill it with life.'

            _Not really my kind of book,_ thought Sakura. It was a little too deep, a little too heavy.

            Just then another hardback book caught her eye, brand new and beautiful. The title, High Wizardry, was written in fancy, loopy script.

            "Sugoi," breathed Sakura. She opened it carefully, afraid to mar its pages. Her eyes fell on a sentence in italics.

            '_To fight the darkness, light: The darkness comprehendeth it not._'

            Sakura turned the book over to see how much it cost and nearly dropped it in shock.

            _3,500 yen?! Kami-sama!_

            She hurriedly set High Wizardry back on its shelf and browsed through the comics until Tomoyo came back with her purchases.

            "Find anything?" she asked her cousin.

            Sakura shook her head. "Iie. Come over to my house?"

            "Sure," agreed Tomoyo happily, and they set off once more.

            Touya greeted the two of them at the door. "Kaijuu. Daidouji-san."

            "Kaijuu janai," Sakura scowled and stomped up the stairs. "Baka."

            Tomoyo followed her, calling a, "Konnichiwa Kinomoto-san," over her shoulder.

            "Kero-chan," Sakura called after closing the door behind them.

            He poked his head out of the drawer. "What's wrong?" asked Kero upon seeing her worried expression.

            Tomoyo glanced up at Sakura and looked just as concerned as the Guardian Beast, if not more.

            "I just thought . . . ." Sakura faltered. "I sensed something strange when I talked with 'Niichan. It was almost lik a Card, but a little . . . I don't know. Different."

            Kero looked thoughtful. "I thought I felt something too. And it's rather strange that he's been wearing sunglasses since he got home."

            "I was going to ask you about that, Sakura-chan," Tomoyo added.

            "Oh, he went to the eye doctor today and they dilated his eyes. If he doesn't want to be in constant pain he has to wear sunglasses until his eyes are normal."

            Tomoyo sat up abruptly. "Do you think that what you sensed was the new Card?" she asked.

            "It could be," said Kero, "but I don't sense anything now. Let's talk about something else. Like pudding," he added hopefully.

            Sakura sighed and rolled her eyes. "I'll go check the fridge. Do you want anything, Tomoyo-chan?"

            "No thank you. I should be heading home now," replied Tomoyo as she followed Sakura downstairs. "Call me if anything happens."

            Her friend waved good-bye.

            "I will."

*~*

            Sakura awoke with a start. "Kero-chan," she whispered into the dark room. "Kero-chan, wake up."

            Kero reluctantly opened the drawer and popped his head out. "This is a first," he muttered sleepily, rubbing his eyes and yawning.

            "There's a Card in the park."

            Suddenly he was wide awake. "Let's go!"

            "Chotto matte. I have to call Tomoyo-chan first," Sakura said, grabbing the phone and hitting speed dial.

            "Just hurry up" replied Kero, wings working overtime in his impatience.

            Moments later Sakura was racing to the park. Tomoyo met them there, holding the essentials: a camera in her right hand and a costume in her left.

            _Kuso,_ Sakura thought, wearing a pained expression. She had hoped that Tomoyo would be too tired to remember the promised battle-costume. It was too dark to see much, but she thought she could make out a tail. _Please not a monkey suit, _Sakura prayed silently.

            "So what card is it?" Sakura asked expectantly, changing behind a curtain. _Thank God that wasn't a tail, _she thought in relief. It was a rope, wrapped around the waist of her gold colored tunic. The black pants were made out of a thick, warm fabric, as was the long-sleeved undershirt. She pulled down the curtain.

            "I don't know. I've never met this one, so it must be the new one," Kero replied.

            "Well, where - " she began, breaking off when Touya stepped out of the bushes. "'Niichan?" she said, too surprised to be particularly nervous about him seeing her in the park after midnight. 

            He said nothing and Sakura felt as if something was deeply wrong and out of place.

            And then she saw it.

            "His eyes," she murmured, and, by their gasps, Sakura knew that they had seen it too. His eyes were completely black. She couldn't distinguish the pupil from the iris, and the whites of his eyes had become dark as well.

            Then she noticed the darkness behind him that she had mistaken for shadows and knew, with a sick certainty, that it was controlling her brother.

            "Oh no," whispered Kero. "I had forgotten the Void card."

            Sakura felt like strangling him, but held her peace.

            "You have to get Touya-san out of its control before you can capture it, or it'll destroy him."

            Sakura risked a glance back at him. "How do you do that?" she asked.

            "Shiranai," said Kero helplessly.

            Now she really could throttle him, but now wasn't the time. _I have to do everything myself, _Sakura thought in irritation.

            "'Niichan, don't you recognize me? You're imouto?" She saw the shadow-like thing ripple. "Don't you - " she began before being cut off.

            Touya had taken a step forward and wrapped his hands around her neck.

            Sakura was so surprised she forgot to struggle. Even if she hadn't panicked, she would have been too afraid of injuring him to struggle very hard. Tears streamed down her cheeks, as much from emotional pain as physical.

            "Kudasai," she choked out.

            For a moment his grip slackened and the black in his eyes retreated. The Void twitched again and the pain resumed; any color she'd seen in his eyes disappeared.

            "Element Wind!"

            A familiar voice shouted and her brother was thrown backwards. Then Syaoran turned to the Void and raised his sword, preparing to attack.

            "No!" Sakura shrieked. "It'll hurt him!"

            The boy hesitated. Ever since he'd met Sakura, he'd become more sensitive, cared more for others' feelings.

            He sheathed his sword. "I hope you know what you're doing, Kinomoto-san!" Syaoran shouted.

            "So do I," muttered Sakura.

"Key that hides the forces of darkness

Show your true identity

I, Sakura, command you under the covenant.

Release!"

"Jump!"

            One leap brought her before her brother. "'Niichan. Snap out of it. It's me, Sakura. The Kaijuu." She grimaced as she said this.

            He made a grab for her, but she jumped over him, spun in midair, and landed facing him.

            "Remember me? Remember Otousan? And . . . Okaasan? Don't you remember the day I had to go home becase I was so sick and you had to carry me home and take care of me because Dad wasn't there?"

            He lunged at her and she jumped out of reach. It kept going like this until the wind began to pick up. It took her a while to realize that it wasn't a breeze; the Void was trying to suck her in, and it was building up power. 

            _Like a black hole, _she realized with horror. Soon Sakura found herself clinging to the ground, out of reach of any trees to anchor her.

            _This reminds me of Fly, _she thought humorlessly. 

            "Please 'Niichan," she whimpered. "you're hurting me."

            It was like magic. The darkness in his eyes disappeared and he had to grab on to a tree next  to him that was out of Sakura's reach. She could see the confusion in his eyes, but right now whe had to figure out how to capture the card quickly. Try as she might, all she could think about was the bookstore and a voice echoed in her head.

_"To fight the darkness, light: The darkness comprehendeth it not." _

            And then she realized what she had to do. But she couldn't use the wand with both hands clinging to the ground, so she did the sensible thing, which was later loudly disputed. She jumped and prayed to God she was far enough away from the Void to finish the incantation.

            "Sakura-chan!" she heard Tomoyo and Kero scream at her.

            "Kinomoto-san!" exclaimed Syaoran in surprise and horror.

            But she ignored them. This would have to be the quickest chant ever.

"Firey! Light! Release and dispel!"

The two beings wound themselves around Void, but they were having trouble containing it.

            "Li-kun!" shouted Sakura. 

            The wind had died down to a stiff breeze.

            "Hai!" he answered, understanding her need.

"Element Fire! Element Lightning!"

            With the added power Void was unable to struggling. 

"Void Card! Return to your power confine!"

            The Void returned to its card form and Sakura sighed in relief. Kero was doing an impromptu dance in midair and Tomoyo could be heard saying that this adventure was the best ever. What could go wrong?

            "Kaijuu. Explanation. Now," demanded a familiar voice.

            Shit. She'd forgotten about Touya.

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Finally! God, but that took a long time to revise considering how short it is. I suppose I should now be concentrating on The Road Less Traveled, as that seems to be the popular fic these days. *snorts* I'll try to get it up before the end of midwinter break, but don't hold your breath. Breaths. Whatever.

Ja!

~Mystical Magician__


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